Pipe handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

Positioned in an oil well derrick is a pipe carrier having a horizontal slot open at one end for receiving a stand of pipe that is to be moved laterally away from a well. Mounted on the carrier beside the slot for movement parallel thereto is a slide that has an outer end movable toward and away from the carrier. A hook is pivoted to the outer end of the slide for movement toward and away from it. For moving pipe into the slot, the hook is urged to project laterally away from the slide into a position facing the slot. When the slide is reciprocated, the hook pivots and slides past suspended pipe as the slide is moved outwardly so that when the slide is moved in the opposite direction the laterally projecting hook will carry the pipe into the slot. Provision also is made for using the slide and hook to deliver pipe from the carrier to a position above the well.

United States Patent Campbell 1 Oct. 10,1972

[54] PIPE HANDLING APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Erwin A. Campbell, Bixby, Okla.

[73] Assignee: Lee C. Moore Corporation, Tulsa,

Okla.

[22] Filed: Oct. 7, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 78,890

[52] US. Cl ..2l4/2.5, 198/221 [51] Int. Cl. ..E21b 19/14 [58] Field of Search .....2l4/2.5, l P

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,467,262 9/ l 969 Reed ..214/2.5 2,773,605 12/1956 DeJarnett ..2l4/2.5

Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza' Assistant Examiner-Frank E. Werner Attorney-Brown, Murray, Flick& Peckham [57] ABSTRACT Positioned in an oil well derrick is a pipe carrier having a horizontal slot open at one end for receiving a stand of pipe that is to be moved laterally away from a well. Mounted on the carrier beside the slot for movement parallel thereto is a slide that has an outer end movable toward and away from the carrier. A hook is pivoted to the outer end of the slide for movement toward and away from it. For moving pipe into the slot, the hook is urged to project laterally away from the slide into a position facing the slot. When the slide is reciprocated, the hook pivots and slides past suspended pipe as the slide is moved outwardly so that when the slide is moved in the opposite direction the laterally projecting hook will carry the pipe into the slot. Provision also is made for using the slide and hook to deliver pipe from the carrier to a position above the well.

7 Clains, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDnm 10 I972 SHEEI 2 [IF 3 0A mm MW a WA W a ww IN PIPE HANDLING APPARATUS In FIGS. 11 to [3 of copending application, Ser. No. 25,644, filed Apr. 6, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,905 a carrier is shown for receiving a group of pipe stands in a well and then swinging them down and outside the derrick into a reclining position along the ground. The carrier also can lift a group of pipe stands from the reclining position and swing them up into the derrick so that they can be run back into the well. The carrier is provided with upper and lower horizontal slots having open ends adjacent the center line of the derrick. Stands of drill pipe suspended in succession above the well are moved into the carrier slots until they are filled.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide apparatus for mechanically moving suspended pipe stands into the carrier slots and for returning them to a position above the well and to do this in a simple and rapid manner.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the carrier showing the pipe-moving means attached to it;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line Ill-Ill ofFlG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show an enlarged side view of the reciprocating device broken into two parts;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing the apparatus nearly ready to return a stand of pipe from the carrier to a position over the well; and

FIG. 7 is a similar view with the movable parts moved further along.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawings, the carrier may be a strongback such as shown in the above-mentioned patent application. It has horizontal upper and lower arms extending inwardly toward the center line of the oil well derrick. The upper arm 1 is provided with a longitudinal slot 2 therethrough that is open at its inner end, which is the end adjacent the center line of the well. The lower arm, not shown, will support pipe placed in the slotted arm. Shown in dotted lines is a stand of pipe 3 at the center of the derrick. Assuming that the pipe is coming out of the hole, it is to be moved into the slot in the upper end of the carrier so that after the slot has been filled with following stands of pipe the carrier or strongback can be swung forward out of the derrick and down to the ground. To prevent the pipe from falling out of the open end of the slot as the strongback turns toward a horizontal position with its arms extending downwardly, a latch 4 is pivoted on a vertical pin 5 in a notch in the carrier at one side of the slot near its open end. The latch normally is held in a position in which it projects partway across the slot by means of a'coil spring 6 in a cylinder 7 pressing against a plunger 8 pivotally connected to the outer end of the latch. The cylinder is pivotally connected to a bracket 9 projecting from the side of the carrier.

Mounted on the carrier beside the slot is a slide that may be composed of a pair of long vertically spaced plates 11 rigidly connected along one edge by small vertical plates 12. The horizontal plates straddle the carrier and are held in place by guideways. These may be formed from a pair of spaced parallel bars 13 secured to the inner surface of each long plate and extending lengthwise thereof and straddling a rail 14 supported at one end by a bar 15 projecting from the carrier and at the other end by a cam plate 16 also project ing from the carrier. The slide therefore can move only parallel to the slot. For moving it back and forth, a piston is connected to a rod 18 mounted on a vertical pin 19 extending between the two plates 11. The piston is located in a fluid pressure cylinder 20, the outer end of which is connected to a bracket 21 projecting from the main body of the carrier. By delivering fluid under pressure to one end or the other of the cylinder, the slide can be moved back and forth parallel to the slot in the carrier arm.

A hook 23 is pivoted on a vertical pin 24 to the outer end of the slide. The hook is between the two plates of the slide and the pivot pin extends through them. When pipe stands are being moved into the carrier slot, the hook projects from one side of the slide and faces the slot, as shown in FIG. 1. To hold it in this position and yet permit it to be swung or retracted toward the slide, it is preferred to use a spring and toggle assembly above the slide. The toggle is formed from two links 25 and 26 that are pivotally connected together at one end by extending the end portion of link 25 at right angles to the rest of the link and through the enlarged end of the other link and into an arcuate slot 27 in the upper plate of the slide. The other end of the first link 25 is pivotally mounted on the projecting upper end of the hook pivot 24, while the other end of the toggle is mounted on a pin 28 extending down through a short arcuate slot 29 in the top plate. The lower end of this pin is secured to the top of the hook. The two arcuate slots, which are concentric with the hook pivot, extend from points adjacent the end of the slide to points adjacent the side of the slide from which the hook projects.

The two links extend transversely of the slide. With the central toggle pivot in the outer end of the long slot 27 and the pin 28 in the inner end of the short slot 29, a coil spring 30 on link 26 urges the hook into its projected position. However, if the slide is moved outwardly past a stand of pipe suspended above the well, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 1, the hook will engage the pipe and be swung inwardly toward the slide as the hook slides past the pipe. As soon as the hook passes the pipe the spring 30 will expand and swing the hook back out to its projecting position.

In one use of this apparatus the string of pipe is lifted by the usual elevators and supported by slips, and then a stand of one or more pipes is disconnected from the string. The slide is moved toward the center of the derrick by fluid pressure in cylinder 20 to carry hook 23 past the suspended pipe stand as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 1, so that the pipe will be between it and the carrier. Then the slide is moved in the opposite direction to cause the hook to engage the pipe. The lower end of the suspended stand then is set on the lower arm of the carrier, after which the elevators are released so that the slide hook can pull the pipe into the carrier slot. When the pipe engages latch 4 it will depress it against the resistance of spring 6 until the latch is passed. Then the spring will swing the latch out into the slot again to hold the pipe in the slide. This operation is repeated by reciprocating the slide until the slot is full of pipe. Then the carrier can be swung down to the ground to deposit the group of pipes in a horizontal position in a pipe rack.

The operation of this apparatus has been described when used for racking pipe in the carrier while the pipe string is coming out of the well. It likewise can be used when the pipe is to go back in the hole, by transferring stands of pipe in succession from the carrier to a position over the well. To accomplish this the central toggle pivot is moved along slot 27 to its inner end, while pivot 28 is moved to the outer end of slot 29. This causes the toggle to extend lengthwise of the slide and to retract or swing the book 23 into the slide to the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 and in full lines in FIG. 6. Spring 30 tends to hold the hook in this position. With the hook in its retracted position, it can be moved toward the carrier past a pipe suspended over the well be the elevators. As the hook approaches the carrier,

cam rollers 35 carried by the hook engage and roll along cam plates 16, which compel the hook to swing outwardly on its pivot 24 to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 6. As the slide continues to move in the same direction, latch 4 is depressed by a trip lug 36 between the upper and lower walls of the hook. One side of this lug is rigidly mounted on a pin 37 pivoted in the top and bottom of the hook and projecting above it.

The lug has an operative position and an inoperative position, in either of which it can be held by any suitable means. For example, it may be provided with a spring-pressed pin 38 that can project into either of two recesses 39 in the hook above it. The trip lug can be swung from one position to the other by turning its pin 37. While pipe is being racked in the carrier, the lug is in its inoperative position and does nothing, but to go back into the hole the lug is swung to its other position so that it will strike the latch and swing it out of the carrier slot as shown in FIG. 7. The stand of pipe at that end of the slot leans against the hook and then the slide is reversed to move the hook toward and past the center line of the well. The upper end of the pipe stand moves along with the hook and when it reaches a position directly above the well the elevators are latched onto it and lift the stand from the lower carrier arm, but the slide continues to move until the hook leaves the pipe. This allows the toggle spring to swing the hook back into the slide so that the slide can be moved back toward the carrier, with the hook sliding past the stand of pipe that it has just left at the center of the derrick.

This cycle is repeated until all of the pipe stands have been released from the carrier, one at a time, and guided by the hook to the central position over the well. The toggle and the trip lug thencan be swung back to their original positions, ready to rack pipe in the carrier the next time the string is pulled out of the well. Every time a stand of pipe leaves the carrier arm slot, latch 4 is swung by spring 6 out into the slot to hold the remaining stands therein until the hook returns for the next one.

With this apparatus a great deal of manual labor is eliminated and coming out of and going into the hole are speeded up. The derrick man can operate the controls that admit fluid pressure to cylinder to reciprocate the slide.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention inay be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

Iclaim;

1. Pipe handling apparatus comprising a carrier adapted to be positioned in an oil well derrick and having a horizontal slot therein open at one end for receiving a stand of pipe moved laterally away from a well, a slide mounted on the carrier beside the slot for movement parallel thereto and having an outer end movable toward and away from the carrier, a hook pivoted to the outer end of the slide for movement toward and away from it spring means urging the hook to project laterally away from the slide into a position facing said slot, and means for reciprocating the slide, said spring means permitting the hook to pivot and slide past suspended pipe it engages when the slide is moved outwardly, whereby when the slide is moved in the opposite direction the laterally projecting hook will carry the pipe into said slot.

2. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, including a latch pivoted on a vertical axis beside the open end of said slot, and spring means connected with the latch normally projecting it into the slot to retain pipe therein, said last-mentioned means being yieldable when said hook presses pipe against the latch to thereby permit the latch to pivot and allow the pipe to move past it into the slot.

3. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 2, including means for resiliently holding the hook retracted to permit it to be moved inwardly past a suspended pipe when pipe stands are to be moved from the carrier slot to a position above the well, means mounted on the carrier for swinging the hook into said projecting position to enable it to receive pipe from said slot and guide it out to said suspended position, and means carried by the hook for pushing said latch aside to allow pipe to leave said slot.

4. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, in which said slide has top and bottom plates rigidly connected together with parallel guideways between them supported by said carrier and plates and engaging one another to guide the slide as it is reciprocated, and said hook is pivotally mounted between said plates.

5. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, including means for resiliently holding the hook retracted to permit it to be moved inwardly past a suspended pipe when pipe stands are to be moved from the carrier slot to a position above the well, and means mounted on the carrier for swinging the hook into said projected position to enable it to receive pipe from said slot and guide it out to said suspended position.

6. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 6, in which said hook-swinging means includes a cam, and a cam follower roller is carried by the hook for engagement with the cam.

7. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, in which said first-mentioned means include a pair of toggle links, a pivot connecting adjoining ends of the links, a pin secured to the hook and extending through the other end of one of the links, means pivotally mounting the opposite end of the toggle on the pivotal axis of the hook, and a coil spring on said one link compressed between said toggle pivot and pin, the slide having an projects, the toggle pivot being disposed in the outer end of the longer slot and said pin being disposed in the inner end of the shorter slot, and said toggle pivot and pin being movable manually to the opposite ends of the arcuate slots to cause said links to extend lengthwise of the slide and thereby swing the hook toward the slide.

l t i i 

1. Pipe handling apparatus comprising a carrier adapted to be positIoned in an oil well derrick and having a horizontal slot therein open at one end for receiving a stand of pipe moved laterally away from a well, a slide mounted on the carrier beside the slot for movement parallel thereto and having an outer end movable toward and away from the carrier, a hook pivoted to the outer end of the slide for movement toward and away from it spring means urging the hook to project laterally away from the slide into a position facing said slot, and means for reciprocating the slide, said spring means permitting the hook to pivot and slide past suspended pipe it engages when the slide is moved outwardly, whereby when the slide is moved in the opposite direction the laterally projecting hook will carry the pipe into said slot.
 2. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, including a latch pivoted on a vertical axis beside the open end of said slot, and spring means connected with the latch normally projecting it into the slot to retain pipe therein, said last-mentioned means being yieldable when said hook presses pipe against the latch to thereby permit the latch to pivot and allow the pipe to move past it into the slot.
 3. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 2, including means for resiliently holding the hook retracted to permit it to be moved inwardly past a suspended pipe when pipe stands are to be moved from the carrier slot to a position above the well, means mounted on the carrier for swinging the hook into said projecting position to enable it to receive pipe from said slot and guide it out to said suspended position, and means carried by the hook for pushing said latch aside to allow pipe to leave said slot.
 4. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, in which said slide has top and bottom plates rigidly connected together with parallel guideways between them supported by said carrier and plates and engaging one another to guide the slide as it is reciprocated, and said hook is pivotally mounted between said plates.
 5. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, including means for resiliently holding the hook retracted to permit it to be moved inwardly past a suspended pipe when pipe stands are to be moved from the carrier slot to a position above the well, and means mounted on the carrier for swinging the hook into said projected position to enable it to receive pipe from said slot and guide it out to said suspended position.
 6. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 6, in which said hook-swinging means includes a cam, and a cam follower roller is carried by the hook for engagement with the cam.
 7. Pipe handling apparatus according to claim 1, in which said first-mentioned means include a pair of toggle links, a pivot connecting adjoining ends of the links, a pin secured to the hook and extending through the other end of one of the links, means pivotally mounting the opposite end of the toggle on the pivotal axis of the hook, and a coil spring on said one link compressed between said toggle pivot and pin, the slide having an arcuate slot therein concentric with said pivotal axis and receiving said pin, the slide having a second and longer arcuate slot therein concentric with said pivotal axis and receiving said toggle pivot, the outer end of the arcuate slots being located near the edge of the outer end of the slide and the inner end of those slots being located near the edge of the slide from which the hook projects, the toggle pivot being disposed in the outer end of the longer slot and said pin being disposed in the inner end of the shorter slot, and said toggle pivot and pin being movable manually to the opposite ends of the arcuate slots to cause said links to extend lengthwise of the slide and thereby swing the hook toward the slide. 